Stepped cone-type treater



Patented Dec. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARMON F. FISEER, OFLONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO PETROLEUM BEC'DIFY- ING COMPANY OFCALIFORNIA, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPOBATION OF CALIFOBNIASTEPPED CONE-'LYPE TREATER Application filed June 23,

emulson is subjected to the action of an eleci.

tric field and the water articles coalesced 5 into masses of water of sucient size to gravitate from the petroleum.

It is an object of this invention to provide an electric dehydrator forthis purpose.

The emulsion may be economically treated by providing a treater havingzones of high intensity in the treating space. The emulsion passesthrough these zones of high intensity and is broken down by a bombardingaction of small partcles of water being projected violently in thesezones.

It is an object of this invention to provide a dehydrator in which theelectric field has zones of high field intensity in which a v0-- lentbombardingaction may take place.

This invention is an improvement of my invention presented to the PatentOflice in my application entitled Dehydrator with hygroscopic surfaces,filed August 30, 1926, Serial No.-132,374." In that application Ipresented "to the Patent Oflice a dehydrator similar to the one of thisinvention and having sharp edges for providing the zones 'of high fieldintensity. The 'zones in that dehydrator are limited in size' andtherefore certain types' of emulsions cannot be treated rapidly. I havefound that the Capacity of the clehydrator may be increased if the sharpedges are rounded so as to form nodules or ccrests. `;This dstributesthezones 'ofshigh' 1927. serial No. 200,878.

field intensity over a larger area and consequently subjects theemulsion to longer periods of bombardment.

` It is an object "of`this invention to provide a dehydraton'in whichthe zones of high field v intensity are large enough to permit a rapidtreatment of emulsion.

Other objects and "advantages of the invention may be best understood byreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a vertical cross section.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. l

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vewillustrating the bombarding action whichocc'urs in the zones of high field intensity. j

The form of the invention illustrated has a tank 11 in which a groundedor p'rimary electrode 12 and a live or secondary electrode 13 areplaced.

The grounded electrode 12 is supported by a frame 14 in a centralposition inside the shell 11. The upper part of the electrode 12 issubstantially conical but insiead of having aflat surface is providedwith a surface having a wave-shap'ed cross section. The surface 6f theelectrode-12 is provided with alternate crests 16 and troughs 17. Thelive electrode 13 is supported by a supportingmeans 18 which isconnected to an insulator 19. The live e1ectrode13 is also conical andhas alternate crests 21 and troughs 22 which are annular. As shownclearly in Figs. 1 and 3 the crests 21 of the live electrode areadjacent to the troughs 17 of the grounded electrode, and the troughs 22of the live electrode are adjacent to the crests 16 of the' grou'ndedelectrode. The two electrodes are separated from each other to provide atreating-space 25. The treating-space 25 is annular and hasa wave-shapedcross section as illustrated in Fig. 1. 4 r

The electrodes ar connected to a transformer 26. This transformer 26 hasa. secondary winding- 27, oe` conduct-.or 28' -'of which is connected tothe shell 11 and another conductor 30 of which is connected to thesupporting-means' 18. When a primary winding 31 of the transformer 26 isenergized, an electric field is set up in the treating-space 25. Theelectric field in the treating-space 25 in this invention issubstantially of the same character as is provided in the invention ofthe application mentioned in the introduction to the specifi-- cation.The crests 16 provide rounded edges where zones of high field intensityare formed, these zones being indicated in the drawings at 33.

Emulsion to be treated is supplied through an emulsion inlet pipe 34.This emulsion inlet pipe extends upward through the electrode 12 to theupper part of the treatingspace 25. A bafiie-plate 35 is located' at theupper end of the pipe 34 so that the incoming emulsion is deflected andwill flow in contact wth'the surface of the grounded electrode 12. Toassist in holding the emulsion to the grounded electrode 12, thisgrounded elec trode is formed from a material having an afiinity for theemulsion. This material is any material such as plaster of Paris orcement which has an aiiinity for water. In View of the fact thatemulsion contains water, the emulsion will be attracted to the surfaceof the grounded electrode and will tend to pass through thetreatng-space 25 in contact with the grounded electrode 12. The emulsioninlet pipe 34 has a branch pipe 37, by means of which an electrolytesuch as salt water may be added to the emulsion in ca'se it is desiredto have a greater percentage of water in the emulsion.

The upper part of the treating-space 25 is provided with a mouth 38formed in the live electrode 13. A dry oil pipe 39 is eX- -tended intothe shell 11 and has a nozzle 40 which is adapted to direct dry oilthrough the mouth 38 and into the treating-space 35. This dry oil servesa twofold purpose; first, it maintains a 'flow through the treatngspaceas indicated by arrows 41, this being in -opposition to the naturaltendency of the dry oil to rise in this space.` Another purpose of thedroil s to form a self-healing dielectric barrer between the two.electrodes 12 and 13. As clearly explained in my application entitledDehydrator having hygroscopic emulsion inlet, filed September 16,

1926, Serial No. 135,803, 'dry oil when passed adjacent to an electrodeof lowest field intensity prevents short-circuiting which would occur if'the wet emulsion filled the entire treating-space 25 so that chains ofwater might connect to both of the electrodes. y y g The operation ofthe invention is as follows: i

It is desirable to' first fill the shell 11 with dry oil. This may bedone by means of the dry oil pipe 39. An electric field is thenestablished in the treating-space 25 and emulsion to be treated issupplied to the emulsion inlet pipe 34. The emulsion passes through theupper end of the emulsion inlet pipe 34 and is defiected by thedefiector 35 radially outward in contact with the surface of thegrounded electrode 12. The emulsion flows downwardly along this surfaceand into the successive troughs and over the successive crests incontact with or very near to the electrode 12 through the entiretreating-space 25. The dry oil which is continually being passed throughthe treatng-space 25 surrounds the layer of emulsion which is around thegrounded electrode 12 and thus forms a complete self-healing dielectricbarrier. The treating action which takes place in the treating-space 25is illustrated in" F g. 3. It is well known that an electric field tendsto concentrate where an electrode is ponted or provides an edge. Thisedge in my invention is provided'by changing the direction of thesurface of the electrode 12. The zones of high field intensity 33 arethus provided. The water particles of the emulsion which areof suficientsize to be attracted to the grounded electrode 12 will flow along thegrounded electrode 12 as indicated at 42 in Fig. 3. When a zone of highfield intensity is reached, the concen-tration of lines of force impelthe water particles violentlyfrom the grounded electrode 12, These waterparticles 42 being Violently impelled bombard small particles 43 whichare so small that they are trapped in the emulsion. The bombarding ofthese small particles cause them to join together either with each otheror with the larger particle. which is being shot against it. Thebombarding particles may be either positively or negatively charged andthey tend to pass back and forth in the treatingspace 25. During theseperiods they are attracted by and attract water particles of oppositepolarity so that coalescing action takes place. In the event that anelectrolyte is added to the emulsion pror to the time that it enters theelectric field, the electrolyte associates itself at least in part withthe water intensity. If desired, the live electrode 13' may also beformed of or coated with the same material so that a pronouncedbombarding action may also take place at the crests 21.

In the present invention there may be 'a slight bombarding action takingplace also at the crests 21, but the greatest action takes place at thecrests 16 of the grounded electrode 12 and in the' zone of high fieldintensit'y 33. The emulsion and dry oil pass downward to the lower partof the shell 11 and are withdrawn through a pipe 44. This pipe 4:4

the phases is petroleum. 4

-conveys the oil and water particles to a settling tank where thewaterpis precipitated.

In the foregoing description jI-'lhave described the invention inconnection with the dehydrating of: 'petroleum'` emulsion. It should beunderstood that this dehydrator is capableof treating other en'ulsionsand is not nece'ssarily limited to an emulsion in 'which water forms apart or in which one of I claim as my invention: 1. In an electricdehydrator, the combination of: a pair of electrodes, 'one of saidelectrodes having a continuous series of alternate troughs and crests,said crests being substantially broad to form' relatively extens'ivezones of high field intensit" in the space between said electrodes;means for creating an electric field in said space; and means forintroducing an emulsion into said space in such a manner that waterparticles of said emulsion will be projected violently from said crestsby said zones of high field intensity.

which a dielectric barrier is passed through said ace adjacent to one ofsaid' electrodes' 5. combination as defined in claim 1 in which one ofsaid electrodes surrounds the other and in which said electrodes are ofa general conical shape. v

6. A combination as defined 'in claim 1 in which means is providedfordirecting the emulsion along said 'electrode having alternate troughsand crests.

7. In an electric dehydrator, the combination of a primbary electrodeofa general conical form having annular troughs and crests which arealternately arranged; a secondary electrode of a general conical formhaving annular troughs and crests which are alternately arranged, saidelectrodes having a 'sa treating-space .provided therebetween, said`"treating-space being of wave-shaped cross- "sectiom means forestablishing an electric field in saidtreating-space; and means forintroducing an emulsion into said space in such a manner that the waterparticles of said which both electrodes are of emulsion will beprojected violentlyfrom the crests of one of said electrodes.

8. In an electric dehydrator; the combina- -tion of: a air ofelectrodes, one of said elec-' trodes benggrooved to form 'alternatetroughs and crests disposed to provide a series of Progressive steps,said grooved electrode and the other of said electrodes defining anintermediate treating s ace and said' crests forning zones of high eldintensity in said space; means for producing an electric field in saidspace; and means for introducing an emulsion' adjacent an upper portionof the stepped surface of said one electrode in' such a manner as tocause said emulsion to move downwardly into the successive troughs andover the successive crests in contact with the stepped surface, so thatwater particles of said emulsion will be projected' violently from said.crests by said zones of high field intensity'. i 4

9. A combination as defined in claim 8 in which said stepped electrodeis formed of a material having an aflinity for said emulsi`pn.`

10. *A combination as defined in claim`8; in which dry oil is passedthrough said treating space adjacent said other electrode.

11. A combination as defined in claim 8 in which a dielectric barrier ispassed through said treating space, between said emulsion and' saidother electrode.

'12.' A. combination as defined in claim 8 in eneral conical sha e withsaid other electro e surrounding 'sai stepped electrode. p v

13. A combination as defined in claim 8 in which said other electrode isprovided with troughs and crests, the troughs of one .electrode beingdisposed adj acent the crests of the opposite electrode, so' as to forma treating space having the contour ofan ogee curve.

14. In an electrical dehydrator, the combination of: a pair ofelectrodes defining -a treating space a cross section of which is in theshape of an ogee curve; means for establishing an electric fieldin saidspace; and means for directing a flow of emulsion into said fieldadjacent the surface of one of said electrodes.

15. In an electrical dehydrator, the combination of: a 'pair ofelectrodes defining a treatingspace a cross section of which is in theshape of an ogee curve; means for establishing an electric field in saidspace; means for directing a flow of emulsion into said field adjacentthe surface of one of said electrodes; i and means for passing' adielectric fluid through at least a portion of said field in conta'ctwith the other of said electrodes.

16. A combination as defined in claim 14 in which said-treating spaceisannular and increases in diameter throughout the length thereof, and inw h said emulsion is introduced into that portio of the field which isof smallest diameter.

u 17. In an e1ectrica1dehydrator,the combination of a pair of electrodesdefining a treating space therebetween, a cross section of which is inthe form of an ogee curve means 5 for establishing an electric field insaici space means for introducing emulsion to be treate into said space;and means for inj ecting a dry oil into said space in a manner toreverse the normal direction of flow in said treating io space of thedry oil separated from said emulson. In testimony iivhereof, I havehereunto set my hand at Borger, Texas, this 14th day of June, 1927. 15HARMON F. FISHER.

